From the Patriots are in their opponents heads department: We knew about the Indianapolis Colts fears in the past that their locker room at Gillette Stadium was bugged.
Now, comes a report that this past Sunday, the Jets, before playing and losing 30-23 to the Patriots in Foxboro, asked the NFL to sweep their locker room for listening devices.
The report comes from Boomer Esiason, the former NFL quarterback and current CBS "NFL Today" analyst, and Craig Carton of the "Boomer and Carton" morning show on WFAN in New York - yes, the guy that reported that there was “no doubt” Tom Brady would serve a Deflategate suspension this season, So, there is that.
Mike Florio of NBC's Pro Football Talk reported that the Jets wouldn't comment on the situation, but a source told PFT "the Jets did not request that the locker room be swept for bugs; however, the source did not deny that the locker room was swept for bugs" and "no listening devices ever have been found in any locker rooms in the Patriots stadium."
More from the Florio report:
The Patriots likewise had no comment on the situation, and the NFL could not immediately be reached for comment.
New England Patriots
As one source has explained it to PFT, the Patriots have become concerned that a team eventually will plant bugs on its own and claim that the Patriots put them there. This has prompted the Patriots to ask the league to certify before each game that the visiting locker room is clean before an opposing team enters. Per the source, the NFL has declined to do this.
On the "Toucher And Rich" morning show on 98.5 The Sports Hub, and simulcast on CSNNE, Albert Breer of the NFL Network talked about the allegations and other teams' fears of the Patriots' "gamesmanship."
Watch the video above for the complete discussion.
Chalk it up as another example of the psychological impact the Patriots have on their opponents. From headsets to “warm drinks and trash cans...”